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NATO Summit was a premiere, an experience that will help us enormously in planning the next multinational missions.
And the participating Romanian soldiers will remain content to have played an important role in a mission that may be unrepeatable, and will share a memorable story with their relatives, a story that crowned their entire career, as some of them confessed.
Impressions after the mission Captain commander Lucian Michinici
After this tour of force we returned home safely. For me and the team at the 95th Base it meant the crowning of our work. The cooperation was very good, it is already obvious that we have been in NATO for 14 years.
The climax was when we flew over NATO's new headquarters. I am saying it in all honesty that I did not look down, I had to pay attention to the flight, but I could feel the emotion, especially since we knew what kind of political and military officials were watching us from the ground.
We felt the emotions, but also the pride of being Romanian and of representing Romania when needed.
Captain commandor Cristi Andrieș
It was an unparalleled moment. We did not had time to look at what was going on down there. We were a 26-helicopter formation. It was overwhelming. Knowing that down there were the leaders of the world and we were flying above them, it wass a great feeling.
Lieutenant commandor Ovidiu Bamse Nimigean
It was an interesting mission, and the helicopters from Bacau had the longest route. There were about 22 hours of flight only on the way. Approximately 1,800 km on the way there, and another 1,800 km on the way back.
The SOCAT behaved very well, we had no failure throughout the mission. Everybody did their job, the pilots in the air, the technical team on the ground.
Principal military master Mircea Canade
It was a new experience, longer than usual. We saw
new things, new people. We prepared the helicopters so well that we had no problem. Over there everything went very fast. I almost did not realise, I only guessed what was happening. Everyone did their job!
Principal military master Lucian Codău
It was a special mission.
We could feel that everybody was nervous on the first day, during the training, becaause everyone wanted things to go as smoothly as possible. The next day, everything was ok! From the air, the formation looked very well, especially because we were with all three helicopters in the formation, not dispersed. After 28 years of aviation, such a mission... The crowning of a military career!
Commandor Leonard BARABOI, captain of the 95th Air Transport Base
The mission was carried out as planned. We took into account the unpredictable. We were ready for any situation and we were able
to report an accomplished mission! We honoured the 95th Air Base, Moldova, the Romanian Air Force, Romania. We had an extraordinary experience, with new people in our team, because we had soldiers participating in an international mission for the first time. We stayed true
to Blaga's motto: "Whoever believes in flight is the master of the horizon!"
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